Yola town of Adamawa State, was today agog with the ensemble of the Fulani race, as they converged to witness the official unveiling of a new FM radio station-Radio Pulaku.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who stood in for presidend Muhammadu Buhari as special guest of honour, explained that the name Pulaku signifies all the attributes of a true Pullo, such as tolerance and steadfastness, which every Fulani man is endowed with.
The president said the commissioning is timely as government has reached the stage of information sharing in its fight against insurgency and other social vices. He urged other media stations to join in the campaign against activities of insurgents.
While condoling with the people of the state over the recent bomb blast in Mubi, President Buhari said insurgents have resorted to targetting soft spots and called for more vigilance and support for soldiers and other security personnel who have paid the supreme price to keep Nigeria safe and peaceful.
He described radio as a powerful tool for development and called on Pulaku radio to, “appeal to the conscious of its listeners to be law abiding, united, peace loving and security conscious.”
The Governor of Adamawa State, Sen Mohammed Umar Jibrilla Bindow, who dwelled extensively in Fulfulde, said radio is a veritable tool for development which can be used to reach out to the Fulani’s all over the world, to among other things, promote the rich culture of the Fulani race.
The governor commended Lamido Barkindo Aliyu Mustafa, Lamido Adamawa who is also the Tapital Pulaku world wide, for the vision to establish a radio that will run programmes in Fulfulde, pledging his administration’s support for traditional institutions as custodians of the people’s culture.
Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Saad Abubakar the third, who was represented by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi the second, congratulated the Lamido over the establishment of the radio station and expressed the hope that the station will be a unifying factor and a medium of interaction among the Fulani people.
Founder of the Pullaku Radio, Doctor Muhammadu Barkindo Aliyu Mustafa said the radio was established to among other things bridge the gap in the inability of television stations to have a wider reach as well as the need to preserve, propagate and showcase the rith cultural heritage of the Fulbe race.
He said the content will be predominantly fulfulde as it will remain a reliable source of information and companion to contribute to national platform of information dissemination.
Chairman of Board of Trustees of Pulaku Radio and Kaigama Adamawa, Professor Umar Pate, said pulaku means knowledge and sanctity, which he said is in fulfilment of wisdom and respect, adding that the establishment of the radio will also promote peace and harmony.
There were messages from Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Isa Ahmadu, DG FRCN, Mansur Liman, and Alhaji Ahmed Joda, among others.
